Anti-Flower rant led to Pietersen's sacking

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced that it had "unanimously" decided to move forward without Kevin Pietersen and according to reports, a crisis meeting after the Melbourne Test set in motion a chain of events which eventually led to the board's decision.

According to The Telegraph, England's captain and vice-captain - Alastair Cook and Matt Prior - had called for an emergency team meeting after the Boxing Day Test without the knowledge of the training staff. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss Andy Flower's coaching methods as the players felt they were relying heavily on the coach for inputs.

At this meeting, Pietersen assumed that the players were accusing the head coach and started an anti-Flower rant. This surprised and shocked many of the England team-members, who told Pietersen that the reason for the meeting was not to blame Flower but to figure out how to take responsibility for their actions.

Flower, who got to know of the meeting, called Pietersen to his hotel room in Sydney and had a heated conversation with the batsman and the simmering tension between the coach and the player blew up. Flower later asked the players if they had a problem with his coaching methods and was told that they did not have any issues.

ECB director Paul Downton, who was with the squad for the final Test in Sydney, learnt about what had happened during the tour debrief with Flower. Downton also spoke to the senior players and the coaching staff in Australia, before coming up with the decision to sack Pietersen.

Piers Morgan, who came out in support of Pietersen on twitter, accused Prior of back-stabbing. According to Morgan, Prior had "slaughtered" Flower while addressing the team meeting before speaking to the coach about the meet.

Prior responded to Morgan's comments by tweeting: "I don't do this PR, spinning media rubbish but I refuse to be attacked by a bloke that knows very little about what goes on in the England set-up apart from rumour, gossip and hearsay from certain individuals (most of whom I'd take with a pinch of salt!!)."

"Maybe I was recorded or 'hacked' but if not I'd like to see where these words I apparently said have come from? I'm not the kind of person to divulge what is said in team meetings but all I will say is that Flower, Cook and the rest of my team-mates know exactly what I said & the way in which it was meant!

"There is no story here just an attempt to knock someone who has only ever had the team's best interests at heart and tried my best on and off the field to help the England cricket team. I can hold my head up high in that knowledge," Prior wrote on twitter.

Meanwhile, Graeme Swann, who announced his retirement midway during the Ashes, said Pietersen was at his best behaviour during the tour Down Under and called his attitude exceptional.

In a column for Sun, Swann wrote: "He made a huge effort to improve his attitude around the dressing room. I saw or heard no issues with him in Australia this winter, his approach was exceptional. That's why I was baffled on Tuesday when he was effectively sacked as an England player."

"Looking back, I could have understood if Kevin's career with England had finished after 'textgate'. But to go through the reintegration process and then, just 15 months later, discard him for good seems very strange.

"Clearly, Kevin must have upset people enough for the England hierarchy to decide he is no longer wanted. Don't forget, we're not talking about a middling player here -- we're talking about a batsman of sublime talent. As I say, I saw nothing while I was on the Ashes tour. His approach was spot-on," Swann mentioned.